Reading FC Match Report: 2018/2019 Season - Championship

02 October 2018READING 0 QPR 1

Reading: -- QPR: T Leistner (64)

Consistency is the key to success in any sport, and Reading came up short at home again as their stuttering start to the season continues with a fifth defeat in their six games at the Madejski Stadium this season. Credit has to be given to a Rangers side having a similarly difficult time for a classic away performance. They simply played with an energy which the Royals did not match. The tone was set in the opening minutes when Kelly was caught in possession just inside his own half and immediately Reading's back four were under pressure. Rangers continued to stifle Reading's attempts to attack and passed and moved with a fluidity which should have given them a half time lead. The goal they threatened to score eventually came in the sixty-fourth minute when Leinster hammered home in a goalmouth scramble following a corner. The visitors then managed the game well sitting on a slender lead successfully to take all three points.

Reading were not helped in losing Bodvarsson through an injury in the warm-up. Meite stepped into his role and it has to be said he did decent enough job. Won a lot of the long balls pumped forward and the Rangers centre backs an uncomfortable time. He even came close to an equaliser in twice in the space of a couple of minutes near the end, hitting the post and then heading just wide. It was in midfield where the battle was lost. Rangers exploited the space in front of the Reading back four to keep Reading pinned in their own half for most of the opening forty-five minutes. On the whole Reading’s defence did their job limiting Rangers to two really good chances. Bidwell’s cross was met with a thumping header from Cousins which flew just over the bar on eleven minutes. Then shortly before half time a counter attack presented Wells with a very good chance but his attempt was a nice height for Walker to save and the Reading ‘keeper duly obliged. Reading’s only attempt was Kelly’s effort on twenty-nine minutes which was blocked by a vigilant Ranger defence.

Rangers picked up where they left off after the interval although Reading were slightly more purposeful going forward. Rangers however looked far more threatening. Cousins’ clean strike was saved well by Walker getting down smartly to his left to concede another which Reading failed to clear and Leinster scored from close range after Louongo’s initial shot had been saved. Rangers sensed that would be sufficient to win the game sat back allowing Reading time and space to mount some attacks. The introduction of Swift and Sims in place of Aluko and Kelly had an immediate impact as Swift’s penetrating run took him past two Rangers players with ease. We were left of ponder on the reasons why both players had not been in the starting eleven – or at least introduced a little earlier. Barrow after an anonymous first half also began to have more influence on the game.

As Reading appeared to be gathering some attacking momentum Rangers manager McClaren slowed the game down with three tediously slow substitutions – one after the other! It easy to understand why he did so from a Rangers perspective but frustrating for Reading. Reading were also using dubious methods to gain an advantage as Meite and Ezatolahi went into the book for simulation as Reading appealed in desperation for a penalty. Yiadom also went down but he neither received reward or punishment. Adie Williams assures us the referee got all three decisions correct but it has to be said Andy Davies is not the best referee we are likely to see this season. Reading did make Rangers work for their win and Reading struggled to get through their defensive shield. Meite turned well in the box and hit the post with Lumley beaten and then he headed a good ball from Ilori narrowly wide, again with Lumley beaten. Reading’s challenge slowly fizzled out as Rangers kept their grip on the game and the Royals appeared to lose faith.

In spite of their poor result no team has beaten Reading by more than a single goal this season and away form on the whole has been good. However clearly this not going to be an easy season, and although Paul Clement rightly refuses to publicly identify the weak links there are clearly one or two players who simply are not having any significant impact on the game. In some cases I’m not sure whether or not if it is a matter of being unwilling or unable to do the job required. It was also a little worrying to hear a Championship manager commenting on players being ‘leggy’ after a tough game on Saturday given in this league players often are required to perform three times in a week. To use the old cliché the next month or so it is going to be a test of character beginning with possibly the toughest test of the season away at West Brom on Saturday.
John Wells

Post Match Fans' Opinion

Sutekh

» 02 Oct 2018 22:42

Dreadful. Awful team selection. Appalling luck to lose Bod and then a leaden, slow one paced performance full of plenty of space for the opposition. Everything that Hull was this wasn’t.

13k in there apparently. Didn’t look like it. Next home game is Millwall, another struggling side just like QPR. Oh joy, another possible outcome like that. Looks like we’re already going to be hoping that Preston, Ipswich and Hull can keep getting even less pointage from games than Reading.

Going to be more changes for Saturday no doubt especially as there are no strikers fit apart from the shortish bloke I think we signed from somewhere in the summer. At least I think we signed someone.

Hound

» 02 Oct 2018 22:50

Assume it will be Meite, Barrow +1 up front on Sat

Anyway, didn’t think it was quite as bad as some, but an ugly display with little quality. QPR goal was inevitable

Walker 7 - was pretty good. Not sure on the goal
Gunter 6 - did ok and got forward. Lack of quality when he did cross
Yiadom 6- massively frustrated with him at LB. His left foot is poor, he just shouldn’t be there. Still did ok
Ilori/Moore 6 - seems every game they look decent but we still concede at least 1 crappy goal. Somethings not quite right
Bacuna 6 - did ok. No more no less.
Ezatolahi 7 - he is quality. Won the battle with Eze. Couple of errors though
Kelly 4 - tried his best but constantly beaten
Barrow 4- just didn’t offer enough consistently enough. Good run for the Meite chance
Meite 5 - 100% as ever but usual lack of quality. Unlucky with the chance off the post
Aluko 3 - just offers absolutely nothing

Sims 4 - nothing went right for him
Swift 6 - started brilliantly but tailed off. Kept trying to make something happen and our most likely source of a goal
McNulty 6 - tidy enough - not enough time to do too much

Armadillo Roadkill

» 02 Oct 2018 22:54

It’s hard to feel anything other than resignation. Resignation at poor control, misplaced passes, getting caught on the ball, poor corners, dangerous back passes, no movement off the ball, no penetration, just slow, plodding, inept and cowardly play.

That is all.

windermereROYAL

» 02 Oct 2018 22:58

Lost count of the number of offensive free kicks and corners QPR had, one of them had to come off in the end.

andrew1957

» 02 Oct 2018 23:01

I try to be positive but I have to say that when I heard that Aluko was playing my enthusiasm was dented. And he was truly awful yet again. I try not to knock individual players but it is really hard to see how Aluko can ever start another game for RFC. It was as though we were playing with 10 men until he went off. To be fair to Clement he has just said he got the team selection wrong on BBCRB.

Sadly the referee did not allow the double sub until after QPR scored and then it was too late for Swift and Sims to make a difference as QPR sat back and Reading have found it impossible to break down teams this season once we go behind.

You cannot fault most of the players for effort but we lack quality at the moment. Meite sums it all up - 100% effort but little quality. At least he tries really hard.

windermereROYAL

» 02 Oct 2018 23:07

Oh well that`s ok then isn`t it? anybody with half a brain could have told him that before the flaming kick off.

Linden Jones' Tash

» 02 Oct 2018 23:10

This is getting tiresome....

Can we get an attacking coach?

Lack of ideas in attacking third is beyond frustrating

Barney

The club is dead. The atmosphere is dead. And any team at this level that includes Gunter and Aluko is dead. When fans question where the "old school" in our fans have gone, tonight sums it up. Utter utter garbage. Aluko and Gunter should never ever ever play for this club again.

If any season ticket holders are reading this and DIDN'T go tonight, fair play to you...wise decision. Just horrendous.

Royality creeps In

» 02 Oct 2018 23:13

As a team we were truly dreadful tonight. Personally I am starting to lose patience with the manager.
For Christs sake were at home. Wheres the bloody urgency and commitment.

Writing this makes me angry. I have said it before as much as it hurts, I can take losing and trying, but to roll over like tonight is totally unacceptable in my eyes.

FUMING!

2 world wars, 1 world cup

» 02 Oct 2018 23:18

Ok, a poor match partly down to poor luck with the injuries and we know we are lacking in the striker department. And partly down to team selection (Aluko).

Boos deserved.

But to be fair over the last few games we've really improved and this was one step back after two steps forwards.

tidus_mi2

» 02 Oct 2018 23:18

Once I saw Aluko in the starting line-up I just felt the loss coming hence my prediction, losing Bod to injury just before kick off just sealed it.

sandman

» 02 Oct 2018 23:23

Bad team selection, but it would have looked a lot different if Jon Dadi hadn't gotten injured in the warm up. Players did all they could but the disruption gave us a lack of focal point up front.

Also not helped by the single worst refereeing performance seen for many a year, which takes some doing given the woeful output of Referee's the football league serves up.